Vedic Women
by Radha Krishna das, Mexico City
The following paper includes some thoughts on the view held by some men that women should
act in a Vedic way: always shy, in the background, to the point of simply observing
festivals from the roof tops.
In my family we also had advocates of the "Vedic way." My maternal grandfather
couldn't conceive of a woman driving a car and so he forbade my grandmother from ever
driving one. Of course, being well off, they had two chauffeurs round the clock but I
think that my grandmother would have enjoyed driving and it would have helped the family
and her personally. When my grandfather died she had to continue depending unnecessarily
on others for her transportation.
Her learning to drive would not have taken away the leading role of men in transportation
as engineers, race car drivers, highway builders, used car salespeople, etc. It would
simply have allowed her to act with more freedom and better assist her family and society.
Even if she—for the sake of argument—had become a better engineer, etc, than
many men, what matters is what she or anyone else could offer to society regardless of
gender.
Thus the idea that women in leadership positions is non-Vedic (degrading)—and that
the Movement is better off with some primitive and physiological conception of Vedic
culture—is simply a mental masturbation concocted through canonical extrapolations.
The fact is that ISKCON needs a paradigm shift in order to end the well documented and
horrifying shortcomings in all areas, the result of a 100% male leadership.
Here in Mexico a political party has established a rule that no more than 70% of all its
candidates can be of the same gender. This affirmative action policy has allowed women to
participate without having to struggle unnecessarily against old barriers. I think that
ISKCON should do something similar. Right away there should be a plan to incorporate at
least five women to the GBC next March. (If you, GBC, can't find five women candidates
after 32 years of ISKCON, then shame on you!!!)
The GBC setup should change further. As per last March's GBC Appraisals it is composed of
37 members (27 sannyasis and 10 regular Prabhus), all men (I don't know the place of
Malati dd in all this). A new balance should include an abundant representation of Srila
Prabhupada granddisciples (remember that it has been 21 years since Srila Prabhupada left,
plenty of time to form a new generation of top level leaders). No objection if their guru
fell down because that has been part of real life in ISKCON.
As for the 27 sannyasis in the GBC, I suggest that a ceiling of 10 should be imposed. They
are always complaining of managerial overload that affects their preaching potential
anyway. And let's remember that most of their falldowns have been related to management.
The fact that 73% of the GBC's are sannyasis is a testimony to their failure in
maintaining a house in which everyone can live.
Male, Indo-European, and a Prabhupada disciple seems to be a general definition of a GBC
today. If this membership is revitalized with other groups who among other things have
stoically tolerated the blunders of the GBC, then there is hope for this Movement.
Otherwise soon the GBC meetings will look like a college lab full of specimens in
formaldehyde.
For those still concerned that women should always follow the leadership of men, please
remember that having women in leadership positions in ISKCON doesn't mean that we stop
following Srila Vyasadeva, the Six Goswamis or Srila Prabhupada and start following
Cleopatra, Mata-hari and Madonna instead.
Going back to my grandfather, years later I found out that once, before getting married,
he had ran over and killed a pedestrian while driving. So his refusal to let my
grandmother drive was simply a reflection of his own insecurities. Is this whole
"Vedic way" an indication that many of our men need professional help?
© CHAKRA 9-Dec-98 |